"The Great Gatsby" follows Fitzgerald-like, would-be writer Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz, bootleg kings, and… More"The Great Gatsby" follows Fitzgerald-like, would-be writer Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz, bootleg kings, and sky-rocketing stocks. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan), and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without of the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles. -- (C) WB

Consensus:
While certainly ambitious -- and every bit as visually dazzling as one might expect -- Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby emphasizes visual splendor at the expense of its source material's vibrant heart.

Wesley Morris

Grantland

For all the antic, manic itchiness of his Gatsby, for all the jazz hands, the movie doesn't reach out and grab you.

...of such bacchanalian proportions that it requires an act of will to sit there passively as the senses are not merely assaulted but pummeled into submission. It's akin to watching a play staged on a carousel.

It would be cheeky of me if I wasn't forthright in saying that most of Baz Luhrmann's films have put me off. I understand his technique and I… MoreIt would be cheeky of me if I wasn't forthright in saying that most of Baz Luhrmann's films have put me off. I understand his technique and I appreciate his craft, but the actual films are often too quick with their cuts, too nauseating with their one-note characters, and too over-the-top, period. Yet all of those attributes work very well for a true adaptation of "The Great Gatsby." Not only does it show the opulence of the time period, and the excess of Gatsby's lifestyle, but the drama of the love story between Gatsby and Daisy. Luhrmann is a wizard at turning visually crazed love stories into grand tragedies, and there's no better story than this literary powerhouse. While the backdrops are impossibly cloying, as they are CGI, the rest of the film, from modern soundtrack to big as life performances, feels as emotionally spectacular and huge as the original text. For what it was trying to do and for what it showed, Luhrmann easily succeeded and adapted this poignant love story.

Apeneck Fletcher

I went into this prejudiced against it, thinking Baz Luhrmann had raped an American classic, bastardised it with rap and CGI, a greedy grab for fame, money,… MoreI went into this prejudiced against it, thinking Baz Luhrmann had raped an American classic, bastardised it with rap and CGI, a greedy grab for fame, money, spurned it w/o ever having seen it.
I was wrong.
No film has captured the raw vitality and expansiveness of the Roaring Twenties as well, the ambition, the decadence, the hope, the hope of ambitious decadence. A visual tour de force.
And at the core of it, Fitzgerald's simple tale of an aspiring country boy who dreams of a slice of the American pie, the dream, with the girl of his dreams beside him.
All of the actors are sumptuous, Mulligan, Maguire, Edgerton (the heavy played with humanity) and Fisher ... but DiCaprio surpasses

Al S

A groundbreaking, spectacular and visually hypnotizing feast for the eyes and ears. A gorgeous and eye opening movie in the literal sense. I thoroughly enjoyed… MoreA groundbreaking, spectacular and visually hypnotizing feast for the eyes and ears. A gorgeous and eye opening movie in the literal sense. I thoroughly enjoyed it. An unforgettable and tremendously entertaining masterpiece that's more than a forbidden romance of passion but of one man's shattered ego. The visuals are impressive and the music is fantastic. Director, Baz Luhrmann crafts his most impressive and dazzling piece of work yet. A thrilling, charismatic, funny and colorful production. This is one hell of a cool movie. An instant classic. The all-star cast is amazing. Leonardo DiCaprio is absolutely magnificent, he gives a strong, charming and undeniably cool performance. Toby Maguire is sensational, his best performance in years. Childhood friends,Maguire and DiCaprio finally get a chance to shine together in a film and they succeed wonderfully in this film with their brilliant chemistry. Joel Edgerton is excellent. Carey Mulligan is good but is really the weakest performance in the piece.

Christopher Heim

Worth seeing for DiCaprio's powerhouse performance, but don't expect the story to leave much impact (although I'm probably a bit biased since the… MoreWorth seeing for DiCaprio's powerhouse performance, but don't expect the story to leave much impact (although I'm probably a bit biased since the book itself never impressed me). Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet) brings his signature flamboyant style to this adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 famous novel, which leads to visually interesting shots and transitions but the actors tend to get lost in all the glitter. Luhrmann's eccentric campy tendencies (at least in the first half) seem to smother the story's nuance to the point that it becomes hard to get emotionally invested in the narrative. Once the second-half kicks in (where Luhrmann pulls back and allows the actors to speak for themselves), the plot becomes a bit more engaging but it's still essentially a rather drab overlong soap-opera. I also didn't care for the Jay Z-dominated soundtrack, combining old-fashioned sets with modern music worked wonders in "Moulin Rouge" but in "The Great Gatsby" it just feels out of place and unnecessary. Overall, not bad but nothing great.

Clintus Maximus

There's a lot to like in this version of F .Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel of the jazz age, although this one's a little to "jazzy"… MoreThere's a lot to like in this version of F .Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel of the jazz age, although this one's a little to "jazzy" for me. Aussie director Baz Luhrmann was an awesome choice to head this project. He captures the spectacle of the novel and its age better than any other I can imagine. It's reminiscent of his earlier works "Romeo + Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge!" The best aspect of the film is the cinematography: the sets, fashion, jewelry, etc. are executed to perfection.
The cast is excellent; DiCaprio owns this role as much as any he's played. Tobey Maguire is great as well; he's as effective as Sam Waterston was in the 1974 version. I've always thought he owned that role. Robert Redford was good in that version. He's not the actor that DiCaprio is, but he certainly looked the part. Carey Mulligan surprised me how well she played Daisy Buchanan, although after seeing her performance in "An Education," I knew she was destined for greatness.
Summing up what I liked and what I didn't is almost as simple as the film's emphasis on style over substance. That emphasis encompasses the whole jazz age, so that the film portrays that should come as no surprise. Everyone and everything as seen through the eyes of Nick, the narrator, is completely superficial. As an indictment of the near-universal values of the era, this film really works. I did not like much of the soundtrack. It was distracting and anachronistic, just a device to relate the jazz age material to the hip hop generation. Luhrmann's Gatsby is certainly visually stunning and undeniably entertaining, but I think the "update" detracts from the real power of the story.

Cynthia S.

If we talk only style and production, this would have been 5 stars, true to the form of Luhrmann. Perhaps, I'm still enthralled by the Robert Redford… MoreIf we talk only style and production, this would have been 5 stars, true to the form of Luhrmann. Perhaps, I'm still enthralled by the Robert Redford version of Gatsby. Compared to that, Luhrmann's Gatsby falls short. If Redford's Gatsby reminds one of jazz, Luhrmann's Gatsby reminds me of Hip Hop/Can-can. The screenplay is unimaginative. Directing is the usual Luhrmann way, which is style-over-substance. It's very long, to boot, which didn't help...

Candy Rose

Based on the novel by F Scott Fitzgerald. It is a tragic love story where a wealthy businessman tries to win his old flames affections. The movie is visually… MoreBased on the novel by F Scott Fitzgerald. It is a tragic love story where a wealthy businessman tries to win his old flames affections. The movie is visually dazzling. Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio give amazing performances. My fave scene is the tea party scene.

Everett Johnson

***
Baz Luhrmann is one of those directors with a very unique, offbeat way of making movies. He hasn't made very many movies(5 I do believe), but you can… More***
Baz Luhrmann is one of those directors with a very unique, offbeat way of making movies. He hasn't made very many movies(5 I do believe), but you can definitely tell which ones are his. "Moulin Rouge" is one of my favorite musicals, and I usually hate musicals. Here, he takes a classic story and puts his touch on it. "Great Gatsby" is the story of a reclusive millionaire, Gatsby(Leonardo DiCaprio) in the 20s who uses his money and notoriety so he doesn't seem like a "nobody". In doing this he hopes to win back the love of the one that got away, Daisy(Carey Mulligan). It's told by the view of Nick(Toby Maguire) who is Daisy's cousin and kind of the middle man for them. The cast is fantastic, and they all give very good performances. The movie is paced very good, and looks absolutely amazing. This was shot for 3D and I regret not seeing it in the theater in 3D(tried to get it on blu ray, but only had access the 2D version). It pops like few movies. The soundtrack is very unique in that it takes hip hop(Jay Z helped score it), and fuses it with 20's style music. What you get is very similar to what Baz did with "Moulin". It runs a little on the long side, but it doesn't fall into dull or boring territory. Decent flick that while not anything too great, is certainly not like anything else out right now. Worth a watch.

Jim Hunter

From an insane asylum (wait, what?), Nick Carraway narrates the story of a socialite's attempts to woo his long-lost love.
Baz Luhrmann's lavish… MoreFrom an insane asylum (wait, what?), Nick Carraway narrates the story of a socialite's attempts to woo his long-lost love.
Baz Luhrmann's lavish style, quick cuts, garish colors, and modern screaming, drum-heavy music attempt to capture the roar of the Roaring Twenties. It's a valiant attempt, and I like when it succeeds and don't get too angry when the style rudely overtakes the story. It's mostly faithful to the source material except for a few glaring dissimilarities that make me wonder if the filmmakers simply felt the need to stamp the story with their spin.
Leonardo DiCaprio is good as Gatsby, capturing the lavishness of his excess and the vulnerability of relationship with Daisy, and Tobey Maguire is fine as literature's most famous witness; although, Maguire isn't allowed to express the appropriate moral outrage at the end of the film. Likewise, the script doesn't give enough to Carey Mulligan to expose Daisy's depth.
Overall, it's a fair attempt, but Luhrmann's luridness is often misplaced.

Michael S

Having not read "The Great Gatsby" in it's entirety in school or on my own time, I can't comment on how congruent Baz Luhrmann's… MoreHaving not read "The Great Gatsby" in it's entirety in school or on my own time, I can't comment on how congruent Baz Luhrmann's telling is to that of F. Scott Fitzgerald's. But on it's own merits, Luhrmann has created something of a glitzy marvel of visual storytelling, that will be right up the alley of viewers who've appreciated the director's past efforts.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maquire, and Carey Mulligan, "Gatsby" is beautiful and a noteworthy example of art direction (every frame could be fittingly mounted to a wall); it's images sustain it's hefty running time alone. But like his "Australia," Luhrmann's vividly colorful production smothers the emotional pull of his narrative. This is a good story, told well, but rather inconsequential as a character piece. It doesn't help matters that most of the performance (save DiCaprio) range from melodramatic to completely over the top as 1920's caricature.
But once, if possible, we get passed the teeter-tottering acting quality and Luhrmann's numerous anachronisms (which in my opinion added to the movie overall), we can watch and admire "The Great Gatsby" for it's glamorous screen artistry... and even it's flawed albeit solid narrative.
It may not be as good as "Moulin Rouge!" but it's still a sumptuous spectacle and even a terrific validation for 3D technology!

Manu Gino

...that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.
Great Film!!! The film itself, as a film, was awesome! The visuals and… More...that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.
Great Film!!! The film itself, as a film, was awesome! The visuals and soundtrack were captivating and lavish. The acting was great overall, as you can trust these actors to deliver. Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby," is fairly accurate to the classic novel and keeps most of its themes intact. However, Luhrmann's own flair adds a new dimension to the story. Visually this film is incredibly stunning. From grand sets to the detailed period dresses, this film is a treat for the eyes. Never once does it not take your breath away from its impressive scenery. Many people might be worried about the updated music, but there is nothing to fear. Jay-Z's track works incredible well with the film and complements the era in which it is set. The direction in this film is impeccable. The cinematography is marvelous and really lets the viewer absorb the sheer artistry that has gone into making this film. Luhrmann keeps a high level of energy throughout the film and the party sequences are choreographed and edited in a way that it makes you feel envious of not being apart of it. Editing in the film is seamless and really keeps the viewer engaged. A common criticism the film receives is that it is more style than substance, however, I must disagree. This modern interpretation doesn't forget its themes and morals from the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald tale. Overall, "The Great Gatsby" is a fantastically entertaining and enthralling film. It is horribly underrated as it is filled with awards worthy visuals, sets, costumes, direction, and performances. It is a great time at the movies for anyone that enjoys the classic novel or who haven't even heard of it. Not only is this film dramatically satisfying, but also quite humorous and a spectacle like no other. Go see it!
An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Long Island-set novel, where Midwesterner Nick Carraway is lured into the lavish world of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Soon enough, however, Carraway will see through the cracks of Gatsby's nouveau riche existence, where obsession, madness, and tragedy await.

Eugene Bernabe

Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of the famed-F. Scott Fitzgerald-novel is a stylish, majestic and splendid presentation. Remarkable from every frame to every… MoreBaz Luhrmann's adaptation of the famed-F. Scott Fitzgerald-novel is a stylish, majestic and splendid presentation. Remarkable from every frame to every vibrant song, The Great Gatsby successfully illustrates the benevolent nature that its author envisioned and is a visual grandeur that is sure to strike the eyes of its audience. 4/5